Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-08
NO MANS LAND.

The secretary of the interior in his an
nual report, in referring to the Public
Land Strip, says:
Because of its anomalous condition.
this portion of the public domain should
receive the prompt attention Of congress
This tract OF land is bounded on the east
by the Indian Territory, on the north by
Kansas and Colorado, on the west by
New Mexico, and on the south by Texas.
1t is little over 1GS miles loug from
east to west, and fraction over thirty
four miles in width from north to SOUTH
contains 5.13S square miles, or 1872 $40
acres. Excluded from the bound
aries Of these states and this
territory, it has always been
outside of any political juris-
diction. 1t is simply part of the public
domain, over which the land laws have
not been extended, and within the
limits of which no tribunal, civil or
criminal, has jurisdiction to protect or
punish crime.
The land within the limits Of this strip
is said to be fine for both agricultural and
grazing purposes, the surface rolling and
well watered, whilst valuable coal de-
posits have been developed in the western
portion. Until lately the strip" was
almost entirely fenced in and controlled
by number of foreign cattle companies.
But since the breaking up of illegal in
closure and use of the public domain in
this manner there has been a great rush
of people into this locality.
BY the appropriation bill of March 3.
1881 (21 Stat, 45D, the sum of $4,000
was appropriated for running correc-
ton lines. guide meridians, and town
ship lines therein. The sum thus APP
propriated was expended as directed and
the township lines run, though the
amount allowed was scarcely sufficient
to complete the lines as directed.
| beg to urge that special appropria-
ton be made TO complete the survey
over this tract An estimate furnished
at my request by the surveying division
OF the Land Office states the amount
necessary for the purpose is $50, 600. and
l hope it viii be granted.
1t IS further important that Congress
should authorize the establishment OF a
land Office within this strip and
the lands therein at some CEN
trail and accessible point, subject to
settlement under the homestead
laws, with the communication features
eliminated. The Territory should also be
placed under some political organization,
SO tnat civil and criminal law NAV be
properly administered therein.
The peculiar form ana situation of the
strip makes the question of its proper dis
posal question OF some doubt. Ii is, of
course, too small to organize into a sep
crate Territory. Its condition. approx
mating most nearly to that of New Mex
ico. naturally suggests that it should be
mafe part of that Territory, subject to its
laws and government.
The secretary's recommendations that
1t be made a part Of New Mexico and
opened to settlement under the home
stead laws with the communication fea-
lures omitted will not meet with the APP
proval of the people who live there. They
prefer that it shall simply be attached to
the judicial district of Kansas. and that
the homestead laws shall be put in force
there, with the Communication features in
cluded. There does not seem 10 be any
reason except, perhaps, a hope of part
isan advantage for the proposition to
thus increase the size of New Mexico.
which is already sufficiently large: nor
can there be any other than a partisan
motive III the proposition to deny to
soldiers who may wish to settle there the
privilege which the homestead laws now
give them everywhere else to commute
the prescribed five years residence by de
Quoting the time which they served in
the army. In course Of time. it will I'M
questionably be found best to add this
strip to the adjacent Indian lands which
must some day be formed into a state:
and meanwhile it will be most conven-
lent III every respect 10 give the United
States courts of Kansas jurisdiction over
1t. As they now have over certain neigh
boring portions of the Indian Territory.
Congress passed bill to that effect at
the last session. and President Cleveland
vetoed il in nasty and ignorant way.
Perhaps he would now approve such
He should be given an early
to do SO, at any rate; and
care should be taken to guard the inter-
estS of the soldiers against Mr.. Lamar's
that the homestead laws are
too liberal toward them.